


Waking Up

by bizzums



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 03:10:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14179242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bizzums/pseuds/bizzums
Summary: A one shot, (*updated* going for another chapter) set at the end of Season 4.Clarke is injured in Becca's lab and trapped, alone...





	Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired to write this, my first ever fic, as I watched the season 4 finale. 
> 
> Comments are welcome, enjoy :)
> 
> Thanks Uni and Fuzzee, for your awesome beta feed backs! Yes plural <3

 

***************************

 

It burns. I feel searing fire across my face. I think I hear something whimpering, moaning. My eyes flutter open, only to snap back shut at the harsh flicker of florescent lights. Ugh this pain. The moaning, I quickly realize that is coming from me. Why am I hurting all over, what hap...oh. I remember.

The Death Wave. The broken radio tower. The timer on my wrist. I missed the shuttle.

Well float me.

 

Moaning again, I turn on my side as a wave of nausea overtakes me. I toss my smashed helmet aside and wretch onto the tile floor of Becca's lab. I feel so weak, dizzy with pain. I need help but I know I am on my own now, alone here. I manage to drag myself upright, to my feet. "Ok, think..." a med cabinet. There has to be one in here, maybe Murphy and Emori missed something in their scavenging for tech and supplies. The lights flicker and then everything goes dark for just a moment. Just as quick the florescent glare is back and becomes steady. "Hmm ok? Good sign." I hear a muted distant alarm start, it pulses a slow ominous rhythm. "Ok, maybe not so good."

I check all the cabinets and shelves along the walls, "Of course" I mutter. Like those two would leave anything useful behind. Leaning, as slide slowly against the wall, I take a deep ragged breath. I stop suddenly...breath. Why...How am I breathing? The air intakes should be flooded with toxic air by now. The Death Wave was nipping at my heels when I dove into the lab. This place should be engulfed in radioactive air, seeping in the vents already. I look up and see a small light blinking near one of the HVAC vents, yellow to green and back to yellow. "Huh, c02 Scrubber plus Rad Scrubber?" I guess we could have all stayed here longer. Well not that much longer, food and water for eight people. More damage to the shuttle Avionics if they had stayed too. Yeah. No point in thinking about the maybes. They are gone.

 

 I continue my slide along the wall to an exit door. Down a short hall to what I guess is a small supply room. "It's your _lucky_ day" I mutter darkly, as in the back of the last cabinet I open, I find some first aid supplies. With a shaking hand I pull back the collar of my jumpsuit and plunge a c-narc pain syringe into my neck. I depress one shot. Burn cream, 98 years expired, but it feels like heaven to me as I spread it over my blistered face. The cooling relief of the cream and the pain medication wash over me. I feel a sudden weakness overtake me. I slide down the wall and feel a sob catch in my throat, a shudder moves through my chest, a painful ache in my throat as tears escape and fall. It hits me, I am truly alone. 

 

I hear a whisper in the dark "ste yuj"... _stay strong_.

My eyes flutter open as I come out of my stupor. The sound of that ominous alarm continues it's slow steady rhythm. It is muffled, distant. I can't tell which direction it is coming from. Down I think, Jackson had told me there were 5 levels under this one and we never did get to fully explore every bit of this place, this vault... my tomb, my new home. "Home sweet home" I mutter. I am sure the mansion up the hill from here is not safe from the toxic air. I would so love to crawl into that soft luxurious bed, up there, and sleep for days. My eyes softly close again, just a moment I indulge myself to think back... the last time I slept truly sound, safe in a soft bed. Dark eyes, warm arms, Polis and a broken whisper of "Ai hodyu in", _I love you._ My heart clenches, my breath catches, "Enough!" I force myself back to my feet and move further down the short hall to find an open door. A small dorm style room with a single cot and a fake plant in the corner. For some reason I find that amusing. It's the only green I will be seeing for quite awhile. I strip off the rest of my ugly olive bio suit, down to my black boy shorts and gray tank. Although I know I should not waste a single drop of water, until I know my resources, I wipe down my feverish skin. Looking at my exhausted burned face in the mirror, I avoid wiping away the precious burn cream. I look terrible, not that it matters now.  I clasp the silver chain around my neck, slide my hand down to the small flat locket, The Flame. I miss her. In the most recent chaos in Polis, I managed to get The Flame back from Gaia and smuggle it away when shit went sideways with Roan. Of course I would, as if I would ever let her go again. The cool metal of the thin case seems to almost vibrate against my palm. I find it comforting, if not a bit strange.

 

Staring at myself in the mirror, I close my tired eyes again. I am trying not to see it, the fiery trail of the shuttle launching. Taking them away from me. My genius friend Raven "Smile Through The Pain" Reyes. She will plot and navigate their way to survival. Bellamy, strong protective Bellamy with his sorrowful eyes of regret. He will brute force their way to survival. Monty, ever hopeful but with his recent losses, bitterness eroding his kind soul. I hope Harper keeps him focused and safe. He will repair and research their way to survival. Murphy and Emori... well those two will surely survive this and hopefully they will help the others along the way. Of course, then there is Echo, the exiled lost Grounder. The traitor, the Azgeda spy, loyal to her own. I can't really fault her though, we all have done the same  as her and worse for "our people".

 

 

I drink my fill of cool water from the faucet, soothing my parched throat. I know I should explore, take stock but I am just so weary. I stretch out on the narrow cot and slip into sleep almost immediately.

 ********************************************

 

I am dreaming, I know I must be. I feel her warm arms around me, her slow breath of sleep on my neck. I gently wrap my hands around her wrists and pull her arms against my chest. There, much better. Safer. “I love you Lexa.” I wake fully with a start, my hand clasping The Flame. Impatiently wiping my damp eyes, I swing my legs over and stand only to slump back to the cot. I am dizzy, nauseous again. I make it to the sink in time. This must be the radiation. Even with my newly minted Nightblood status, I am weak to the radiation. Priority one then, see if there are any Rad-Away type meds anywhere in this place.

 

I have been fortunate really. In our haste to leave for Polis last week and then again to leave on the shuttle, we were not able to completely explore and scour this place for useful supplies. I locate4 bottles of radiation exposure tablets. I start with a double dose of them and continue my search. In my scavenging I have located a sturdy flat metal bar. It is making opening locked drawers and cabinets easier. Certainly makes prying open this large metal drum easy. The lid crashes to the tile with a loud clatter. I find packed tightly inside, black vacuumed pouches of dried food. Expired by at least 80 years, but beggars cannot be choosers and I know I will be desperate soon enough. A dried protein strip, of questionable origin. Tasteless really but at least it’s something in my empty belly. A glass jar of some kind of orange fruit , still sweet.

 

So I know that the air in here is breathable. The water is not yet contaminated as it probably comes from a deep well, but I will need to somehow confirm that. Ok, no bubble baths for me now. I have some food, looks like enough for a month, maybe two if I stretch it. Hopefully I will find more. When Becca built this place, she did know the end of the world was a possibility. “Here’s to great planning” I quietly say as I raise my plastic cup and take a sip of tepid water.

 

Hours pass as I explore every corner of this floor and the connecting halls. I find more medical supplies. It’s a shame they didn’t get these to Polis with my Mom. Being sealed underground with 1,200 people, she could certainly use them more than me. Some of whom are not the most peace loving people to start with. If I was a praying person I would pray for her. Comms went down before I could say a final goodbye to her. A quiet feeling comes over me, it seems she and I have been saying goodbye since we met on the ground. Also,time ran out, before Raven could give her the “cure” for removing the deadly remains of A.L.I.E. I can only hope she survives this nightmare and we may meet again.

 

 ********************************************

 

It has been two days of mostly rest and hydration. I feel my physical strength coming back, quicker than I thought it would. Even with my limited meals I am feeling physically better, overall. My burns are healing quickly. It has been 7 days since my Nightblood injection. I can only assume that my body is acclimating to the new blood. Mentally is another story. I feel an ache behind my eyes if I think too long on everything and everyone lost to me. My sleep is always brief and never dreamless. I dream, I see their faces. Faces in the fire, ash and rubble of Ton DC. The _faces_  of Anya’s fierce Gonas, incinerated outside our dropship, their eyeless skulls faced accusingly towards the sky. Fin’s boyish face close to mine, his final breath, warm on my own face as I quietly took his life. Sweet Maya's terrified face and those of so many children trapped inside the doomed Mountain. So many faces of those I never wish to recall. If I am lucky I will see my parents faces. Before my father was floated. Before everything fell apart. At least once each night, I see get to see _her_ in my dreams. Lexa. Sometimes in a fleeting moment of joy, green eyes alight with affection. I see her beautiful sleepy satisfied smile from among the furs.

 

I settle into Becca’s office that overlooks the main lab. There is a large comfortable bed, a desk and computer system here, plus an out of place Cello. I don’t hear the alarm much up in this room. I have taken to leaving on soft music to drown out the rhythmic drone.

 

It’s my third night in the lab, I am fighting to find sleep, tossing and turning aching for peace, when I hear it. My heart drops as I hear Lexa whisper softly to me, from somewhere in the darkness, “Clarke? Why laik ai hir?” _Why am I here?_  I sit up quickly, straining my blurry eyes to pierce the shadows of the room. My hand gathers the Flame from off of my chest, it lies uncomfortably hot in my palm. There is nothing to see though, of course not. It's just my own tormented sleep deprived mind. If starvation and radiation don’t kill me, this isolation will drive me insane.

 

I give up on trying to find sleep, the monitors show it to be morning, not that it matters but I get up anyway. I take a very quick rationed shower and some dried meat and juice. Poking around in the computer system, I see that a lot of the facility systems are offline. I find hours of sec TV though, footage is fascinating, well at least the hours of Raven talking and arguing with herself. I know it was the remnants of A.L.I.E’s code in her brain. Driving her to dangerous lengths on her quest to go back to space. It is riveting to watch my friend submerge herself in a deadly ice bath to stop her own heart, only to auto-defib herself back from death. She is flat out insane and amazing. I do so hope she made it off world safely. The others up there are really lucky to have her razor sharp mind guiding them.

 

 ******************************************** 

 

I am feeling much better today. I am ending the rad medication for now. Since there are no visible symptoms of continued sickness and I really should conserve all the supplies that I can. I find that there is an outdoor monitoring system for weather. It seems Raven had this all configured to track the incoming Death Wave while she was working here. The visual feeds are still working and I have them displayed on the largest flat screen down in the lab. As far as I can tell the temp and rad readings are accurate. As expected the rad levels are off the charts. The air temp is high considering it continues to rain off and on. I do not see any movement or signs of life, not that I am surprised but it still feels so eerie. It reminds me of how alone I truly am here.

 

This morning, I am checking the air scrubbers and making sure they are working ok and showing no signs of trouble. I am no Raven or Monty but I learned quite a bit from them while on the ground. Even just growing up on the ARK gave most of us a healthy working knowledge of electronics. Well, I just don’t want to assume everything here, being technically antiques, will not break down with no warning. Things will end very badly and very quickly for me if the air scrubbers die.

 

After another restless night, I am exploring further down in this place today.  I locate a sun room that has 3 artificial sun beds to help restore vitamin D, similar to what we used on the Ark. I will be using them often to keep myself as healthy as possible. I may be able to use some of the heat lamps at some point for growing some vegetables, if I find uncontaminated seeds somewhere. My exhaustion takes over for a short time there, I curl up on one of the beds with the Flame nestled in my palm. Letting the warmth seep into my skin, I sink into a brief dreamless sleep. I wake with tears drying on my cheeks, the Flame feels heavy around my neck.

 

 Today I am taking the elevator down to the 6th floor, the lowest of the compound from what Jackson had told me. Once inside, I notice there is a silver panel above the 1 – 6 floor numbers. It has that ever present symbol, small, etched into the metal plate. The same infinity symbol from A.L.I.E and The City Of Light, The same one that is on The Flame. I run my hand over the smooth cool metal, there are no latches. I gasp, startled, as the Flame hanging on its chain around my neck gives off a small shock against my skin. Not enough to cause any discomfort but what the hell? I pass my hand over the elevator panel again and receive another small zap. Ok, that’s not weird. I lift the chain, holding the flame’s case out from me, I hover it over the panel for a moment. I hear a beep and the panel slides open revealing a button, like the others in the elevator. This button does not have a number though, only the symbol of the Flame. So much for exploring floor 6 today I think, as I press the newly revealed button. What could possibly go wrong.

 

I am anxious at what I will find down here. I feel my heart rate rise as my body descends. It may be imagined but the Flame feels like it’s buzzing. It is hard to tell with my thumping heart though. I am nervous but I don’t  know why, it’s not like I am venturing into the bowels of an ancient secret lab. I take a deep breath as the elevator glides silently to a halt and the doors slide open.

 

**************************************

 

 

I step off the elevator into a narrow hall, the ceiling lights flicker above. Disoriented for a moment, my eyes quickly adjust to the dimness of the hall. Swallowing nervously I decide to explore to the right, towards the source of that slow alarm. The noise grows louder as I move cautiously along the wall. A heavy feeling of unease falls over me as I move forward. Somehow I know this secret floor holds answers, maybe to questions I haven’t even asked yet. I know I am not imaging it, the Flame is buzzing inside it’s case. Probably telling me to turn the hell around. I move forward of course. Not very far from the elevator I stop at a section of wall, inset with large windows. Squinting and peering in, I see metal tables, terminals and lab equipment. I notice debris and broken glass as well, as my eyes sweep along the back wall. There are four large glass tubes, maybe six feet tall. The kind that are meant for lab specimens. Large specimens. Human even. Ugh Crazy Becca is my first thought. The first two containers are empty, their doors closed, with a solid green light above each door.

 

 Continuing right, I see a large crack across the glass door of the third container. I let out a small gasp when I realize there is something inside. That something looks dead, very dead, mummified even. My eyes quickly sweep to the fourth and final glass case. The door is open, hanging by one hinge. The glass smashed from within and smeared with a dark fluid. I swallow a new wave of unease when I notice that above the case, a deep red light flashes slow, it’s rhythm matching that of the alarm.  My first instinct is to run, turn and go back up the elevator and find a way to seal this floor. Not knowing though? I would go nuts, I have to know.

 I move further along the dim lit hall. As I approach the large steel door, my unease turns to downright fear when I hear something, a muffled thud from the other side of the door. Backing away, my eyes widen in terror when a human palm strikes flat against the window near the door. Slender pale fingers splayed open, dark, nearly black blood smears on the glass.

I stumble backwards, flat against the wall, my hand wrapping protectively around the near vibrating Flame. Wide eyed, I watch the hand slowly relax and slide down, out of view as the Flame continues to quietly vibrate from inside it’s case.

 

My heart is pounding, my mind trying to process this. Something, someone is in here! With me! What the float! How? Frozen, suspended here until the power had went off.

 

Still clutching the locket, I move again closer to the window. I need to see, to know. Taking a deep breath, I peer in through the lab window. I see her. Alive. A female, pale, naked, wounded, curled on her side on the white tile floor. The slender form is trembling, most assuredly from pain, cold and fear. My hand releases the Flame as I reach for the handle of the lab door. The noise of the door hissing open draws the immediate attention of the girl on the floor. The curtain of long chestnut hair falls away as she turns her head towards me. Those eyes, forest green, wide and searching. My heart clenches painfully, not believing my eyes, my voice nearly fails me as I manage to whisper one strangled word… “ _Lexa_?”


End file.
